Are there colleges that award A.A.S degrees soley based soley on transfer credit?

[rickyjo]

****Sorry about the title typo!****

I suppose this is unlikely, but before I follow through with my current plans I wanted to check. Can one get a degree by accumulating enough credit (from many venues like CLEP, FEMA, life experience, IT certs, AP, etc) that classes are never required? I've never heard of a college doing this without at least one semester (15 cred) of attendance, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to double check. I guess I'm concerned about actually going back to a structured class setting (even online, anything with deadlines), I always hated it and now I run a business and want to avoid it, even if it is only five total classes.

[alissaroot]

All of the Big Three schools do that:

http://www.tesc.edu/
https://www.excelsior.edu/
Charter Oak State College - distance learning college, online degrees, courses

Which is why all three of these schools are so popular on this board, since you can earn a degree almost entirely by testing out, independent study, and other credit sources without ever having to take a class directly from the school, and without having to attend classes in person at all if you don't wish to.

[rickyjo]

Oh my God. I had no idea. I thought I read that even TESC would require at least a little time there.

Thank you. I will continue to investigate this.

[cookderosa]

****Sorry about the title typo!****

I suppose this is unlikely, but before I follow through with my current plans I wanted to check. Can one get a degree by accumulating enough credit (from many venues like CLEP, FEMA, life experience, IT certs, AP, etc) that classes are never required? I've never heard of a college doing this without at least one semester (15 cred) of attendance, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to double check. I guess I'm concerned about actually going back to a structured class setting (even online, anything with deadlines), I always hated it and now I run a business and want to avoid it, even if it is only five total classes.

>>

The technical phrase is called "residency requirement" and the big 3 are zero residency schools. So, you still need the proper distribution of credit, and you can use classes-exams-etc to fill it, but as far as actually taking classes OFFERED BY THAT COLLEGE, zero. And yes, all three are regionally accredited colleges.
CLEP (and DSST) cheap, multiple choice, covers mainly 100/200 level gen ed classes.
FEMA - free electives only, not all count for credit, cap at 27
Life Experience- very expensive and time consuming, put it WAY at the bottom of your list. Technically called "Prior Learning Assessment." (AKA Portfolio credit) IMO, a marketing tool or hook to get adults back in school.
IT Certs- I think yes, but I don't know this area at all.
AP- As long as you earned a 3 or better, TESC awards 6 credits per exam.

You can't duplicate credit (AP US History duplicates both CLEP US History 1 and CLEP US History 2).

Enjoy

[CLEP101]

****Sorry about the title typo!****

I suppose this is unlikely, but before I follow through with my current plans I wanted to check. Can one get a degree by accumulating enough credit (from many venues like CLEP, FEMA, life experience, IT certs, AP, etc) that classes are never required? I've never heard of a college doing this without at least one semester (15 cred) of attendance, but I figured it wouldn't hurt to double check. I guess I'm concerned about actually going back to a structured class setting (even online, anything with deadlines), I always hated it and now I run a business and want to avoid it, even if it is only five total classes.

As said before me, the Big 3 will do this.
I know for a fact that Excelsior does. The only reason I took any courses at all was so that I wouldn't pay the higher enrollment and graduation fees. So I broke down and took two classes through them.

[rickyjo]

So, there is a cap of 27 credits for the FEMA stuff. I can get 45 at Red Rocks, so perhaps I would be stuck doing classes anyway.

Do any of the big three have an emergency management course where I could use the FEMA credit for more than free electives?

And is the 27 limit cap mentioned prior imposed by all three schools? I would assume it would be different at every one.

Thanks for the continuing help.

[ShotoJuku]

[COLOR="Navy"]To me, Fema credits at best are nice "filler" credits that one can use as elective applied professional credits and really nothing more. I used a grand total of 6 Fema credits in my applied professional credits section, 3 more than I needed.

Why not shelve the Fema credits for now and go after a degree (AAS or otherwise) that you can apply the "maximum" number to (@ EC) and then finish the balance with other CLEP or DSST exam options? [/COLOR]

[rickyjo]

I think I'm going to stick to my original plan.
I will proceed to get the 45 credits from FEMA that Red Rocks Community in Denver will give me. Combined with my AP and IT certs that will give me a total of 46 easy credits (at least) without attending a class room. Then I will bight the bullet and take one semester of classes. I am in Colorado so it will be cheaper anyway. I will walk away with a degree, and then I will go back for another semester and get my computer science at my leisure.

I think Emergency Management and IT and/or CS degrees will work well together.

I just don't think that it will be cheaper or easier if the big three won't take as much FEMA credit as Red Rocks.

Unless anybody is aware of an emergency management program at one of the big three that will take more credit?

Thanks for the information, you have presented some sound options. ShotoJuku definitely provided a solid alternative. I guess, I'm a bit timid going forward. I don't want to make the wrong move! This post is a second-guess of a decision I thought I already made! I just keep doing these FEMA classes all day without knowing exactly how to use them.

[BrandeX]

TESC has an emergency management AAS

[LeekyLeek]

TESC has an emergency management AAS

By any chance do they accept the FEMA credits for more than just free electives? TESC would be way cheaper than Red Rocks, 15 x 45 = 675 + 15 in house credits = 3,375 for me since I'm out of state so basically $4,000 @ RR + lot's of time spent taking classes.. i rather test out and save money :]